


Of Cows and Hummingbirds

by Severely_Lupine



Series: Methos the Muggle [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Highlander: The Series
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-09
Updated: 2013-04-09
Packaged: 2017-12-07 23:32:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/754395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Severely_Lupine/pseuds/Severely_Lupine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Methos rants about something of no importance whatsoever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Cows and Hummingbirds

**Author's Note:**

  * For [averygoodun](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=averygoodun).



“Excuse me.”  
  
“Yes?” Hermione smiled at the young man. Another university student, she thought. It didn’t occur to her to find it odd that he’d be here in the summer.  
  
“Could you tell me where I could find medieval history?”  
  
“I’ll show you,” she said, pulling a cart around. “I’m heading that way anyway.” She walked through the aisles, hearing the young man’s unseasonable trench coat flapping behind her. There were hardly any other sounds. It was one of the things she liked best about her summer job at the library: the peace and quiet. People moved softly and spoke in hushed voices, and not a single book howled or tried to bite her. “Here it is,” she said when they arrived, pointing out the section to him. He thanked her, and she moved to the next aisle over to reshelf.  
  
She heard him pull a book off the shelf and flip through the pages. After a few minutes, she heard him snort. After a few more, she heard him mutter, “Revisionist tripe.”  
  
Curiosity got the better of her, and she looked around the stacks. “Is there a problem?”  
  
“Oh, no problem at all,” he said breezily, “unless you want actual information.”  
  
She frowned and stepped closer, looking at the book in his hands. “Loquacious Loible? But he’s the leading expert in South Yugoslavian Medieval history.”  
  
The young man scoffed. He seemed on the verge of letting it go, then didn’t. “This hack”—he pointed the book at her for emphasis—“says that Urgo Rastanov was the greatest archer that seventh century Europe ever saw.”  
  
Hermione crossed her arms. “And?”  
  
Again, he hesitated as if he’d let it go. Then he looked at her again and stated, “Urgo Rastanov couldn’t hit a cow with a stone if he was sitting on it. The man had four chins and a wonky eye.”  
  
“Really,” Hermione said flatly. “And where did you read that?”  
  
“I didn’t have to read it,” the young man snapped. He hesitated only a moment this time before adding, “I was there.”  
  
“You were there,” she said even more flatly. She wondered if she ought to have brought her wand with her.  
  
He turned back to the shelf, muttering, “Of course you don’t believe me.” And back to her. “The real greatest archer of the time was a man named Hans Schleinberger. That kid could pluck a hummingbird out of the sky from the back of a bucking horse. Rastanov saw Schleinberger at a tournament once, said, ‘I could do that if I wanted,’ and down it goes in history. It’s a bloody travesty.”  
  
“Was there a particular book you wanted?” Hermione said testily.  
  
“Yes, but you don’t have it,” said the young man, thrusting the offending book back onto the shelf. “Not that it would do me much good if this is what historical literature has come to. I wouldn’t even have started bothering to look for other sources if my cuneiform penmanship wasn’t so bloody awful.” He was muttering again.  
  
Hermione would have been frightened if she weren’t so annoyed. This man was a raving lunatic.  
  
“Is there anything else I can help you with?” she asked in a _please get out of here_ tone.  
  
“Not unless you can get me into Flourish and Blotts. At least that lot have some semblance of historical integrity.”  
  
Stunned, Hermione stood frozen. Was he a wizard? But what would a wizard be doing in a Muggle library? And why would he need help getting into Flourish and Blotts? And what was that ‘that lot’ comment?  
  
But he’d already said, “No, thought not,” and brushed past her on the way to the exit.  
  
“Sir, wait!” She hurried after him. He stopped and turned back to her, still looking annoyed. What should she say? What could she say? It sounded like he knew about wizards but wasn’t one himself, and if he was a Muggle, even if he knew about their world, she could get in big trouble if she broke the Statute of Secrecy. And how did she know if he could be trusted? Maybe he was a Muggle reporter who’d heard something but didn’t actually know anything. Maybe he was a wizard from the Ministry sent to entrap her into breaking the law. “Er . . . nothing,” she said, deflating, and let him go on his way. But she kept an eye out for him every day, in case he decided to come back.  
  
When he finally did, he was covered in blood and carrying a sword.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry about the tease ending. I'd have loved to write more, but it just never happened.


End file.
